Tornado Green Lead 18 AWG x 12 in. 19536

The Tornado Green Lead 18 AWG x 12 in. 19536 is the genuine OEM earth lead for the PS Series professional spotters. Tornado’s dealer catalog lists it as “Lead 18 GA. X 12 Green”. Green insulation means one thing in this machine: this is the protective earth. It also fits the Tornado PS8226 Spotter 98226, the 230-volt build of the deluxe PS Series spotter.

Compatible Models for the Green Lead 18 AWG

• Tornado PS Spotter 98220 — PS Series professional spotter, 115V
• Tornado PS8221 Spotter 98221 — the 230-volt build of the same spotter
• Tornado PS8225 Spotter 98225 — deluxe PS Series spotter
• Tornado PS8226 Spotter 98226 — the 230-volt build of the deluxe PS Series spotter, Series D & E

Tornado’s factory cross-reference for this lead is complete rather than truncated: Series C through G of the 98220, Series F and G of the 98221, and the 98225. Call us at 763-535-0770 with your model and serial number if yours is not listed.

The one lead that carries no current

Everything else in the enclosure is there to make the machine work. This lead is there for the one occasion when something has gone wrong.

In normal operation the equipment grounding conductor carries nothing at all. Its job is to bond the machine’s metalwork to earth through a path of very low resistance, so that if a live conductor ever touches the chassis, the fault current is large enough to open the breaker immediately instead of sitting on the metalwork waiting for someone to touch it. On a carpet spotter — a mains-powered machine full of water, handled by an operator standing on a damp floor — that distinction is the whole safety case.

There is a second green lead on this machine at a different length, and other leads at this gauge in black and white. They are not interchangeable: colour identifies function and length identifies the run. Order by the part number rather than matching from a tray.

When to replace it

Replace the lead if the insulation is cut, cracked, abraded through, melted or heat-damaged; if copper is visible anywhere; if a terminal is corroded, loose or badly crimped; if strands have broken at a termination; or if it has been spliced, lengthened or shortened.

Replace it, and investigate, if you find it disconnected. A machine that has been in service with its earth lead off is a finding rather than a maintenance note — it has been running with no protective earth, and it should not go back out until the lead is made good and an earth continuity test has been passed.

Check it every time the electrical cover is off. An earth lead is the connection most often left undone after other work, precisely because the machine runs perfectly well without it.

Fitting notes

Isolate the machine from the mains and keep it isolated. Note where each end lands before disconnecting anything. The working rule for protective earth is simple and worth keeping: first connected, last disconnected.

Terminate onto bare, unoxidised metal. An earth made onto paint, powder coat or corrosion is not an earth, however tight the screw feels. Use the right crimp for the terminal and the gauge, and pull-test it — a crimp that moves will fail. Route the lead so it cannot be pinched as the cover closes or chafed by anything that moves, and fit a new cover gasket so the enclosure seals again.

Finish with an earth continuity test from the plug’s earth pin to the machine’s metalwork, and run the machine on an earth-leakage protected supply before returning it to service. Never substitute another colour for green, even as a temporary measure.

Twin City Vacuum has been selling and servicing Tornado equipment since 1956.

You can browse every assembly for this machine on our Tornado PS Spotter 98220 parts page, and the manufacturer’s specifications are published at tornadovac.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Green Lead 18 AWG 19536 do?

It is the equipment grounding conductor — the protective earth. In normal operation it carries no current. Its job is to bond the machine’s metalwork to earth through a low-resistance path so that a live conductor touching the chassis trips the breaker immediately rather than leaving the metalwork live.

Is this the same as the other green lead on the machine?

No. There is a second green lead at a different length, and other leads at 18 gauge in black and white. Colour identifies the function and length identifies the run, so they are not interchangeable — order by the part number rather than matching from a tray.

The machine runs fine with the earth lead disconnected. Does it really matter?

Yes, and that is exactly the danger. A spotter with no protective earth runs completely normally right up until a fault puts mains voltage on the chassis. A machine found in service with its earth lead off should not go back out until the lead is replaced and an earth continuity test has been passed.

How do I order the Green Lead 18 AWG (part# 19536) or get help?

You can add the Green Lead 18 AWG (part# 19536) directly to your cart on this page, or call us at 763-535-0770. Our staff at 5415 West Broadway, Crystal, MN 55428 has been servicing Tornado equipment since 1956 and can help confirm the right part for your machine.

Questions? Call us at 763-535-0770 or visit us at 5415 West Broadway, Crystal, MN 55428.